West Coast style finds its way to the high street: the new denim brand to buy

LA is the city known for denim; it’s the birthplace of labels such as Current/Elliot, Paige and J Brand. And while we may be fervent disciples of one brand or another, picking up a pair or two when in the States or ordering online on payday, it’s good to know that West Coast-crafted denim is now a fixture on the British high street. John Lewis has joined forces with California-based denim experts Calvin Rucker for a new 90-piece collection called AND/OR, designed, sewn and finished in LA.

The collection is perfectly summed up in the launch video showing model Steffy Argelich navigating the life of a modern woman. In one powerful scene, a friend is breastfeeding in public when she stares defiantly down the camera and the word ‘What’ pops up on screen. The message is clear: this is a collection for confident women who want to be chic but have better things to worry about than what they’re wearing.

The 90-piece AND/OR collection, £22 to £250, available now; johnlewis.com